RACE SUMMARY

Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters - Hero MotoCorp, completed the penultimate stage of the Dakar Rally 2023, with two riders finishing in the top-10 ranks.

Ross Branch led the team’s race today, crossing the finish line of Stage 13 in the 8th fastest time. Following Ross closely were the two other Rally GP class riders - Sebastian Buhler and Franco Caimi – who finished in the 10th and 11th positions respectively.

Having completed their journey in the infamous Empty Quarter, the competitors moved northward, closely along the Saudi Arabian border from Shaybah to Al Hofuf. The special section on Stage 13 was a rather short 153 km ride in the sand, whereas the road trip to Al Hofuf totaled over 500 kms.

This was the last opportunity for riders to surf over long chains of dunes at this edition of the Dakar, and the day did not disappoint them. The stage was almost 100% dunes, and therefore physically very intense for the riders. The morning sun made it further difficult to estimate the heights of the drop-offs, and the riders took every caution to avoid any mistakes.

The last quarter of the Rally has seen the top competitors on full attack for a place on the podium, with very limited time gaps between them. The race to the finish does come with extreme risks, and just today, two more top contenders exited from the race.

Franco Caimi had a tough day in Stage 13, owing to the leg injuries he sustained from the crash in the previous stage. However, he managed to finish in the 11th fastest time, and his consistent performance so far in the race has rewarded him a place in the overall top-10.

Sebastian Buhler and Ross Branch rode comfortably today avoiding major risks, and yet finished well in the top-10 places. After 13 stages, Buhler finds himself at the 14th position, and Ross at the 16th, in the overall Rally GP class standings.